SANCA is very excited to welcome the latest group of young circus artists to the third year of our Professional Preparatory Program (P3)!

The P3 program, now in its third year, offers training for young adults seeking professional careers in the circus arts. The 9-month program provides 30 hours per week of coursework designed to prepare artists for auditions and entry into multi-year circus programs. Training includes four areas of focus:

• Acrobatics (handstands, tumbling, trampoline, partner acrobatics)
• Aerial (static trapeze, rope, fabric, hoop, Chinese pole)
• Dance (ballet, modern, choreography)
• Theater and Act Creation (improvisation, physical storytelling, acting, mask and clown)

The 9-month academic year is divided into five sessions, during which students first learn a baseline of skills, and then create two acts in the specialties of their choice. In the final session, the students create and perform an ensemble show. Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to assist in the production aspects of other SANCA productions and present works in progress in informal settings for development and constructive feedback.

SANCA’s 2015-16 P3 students get to work on their first day at SANCA!

Coming Blog Posts will introduce SANCA’s P3 students. Today, please welcome Cameron Clarke and Katheryn Reed to SANCA and the P3 Program!

Cameron Clarke is 19 and hopes to become a circus generalist and expand on every discipline that he can while at SANCA because there is so much variety and so much to learn. Cameron says:

“I became involved in circus when my family moved to Belgium for three years. I joined an afterschool circus program called Circus Avanco in Aalbeke, Belgium. I hope to audition at École de cirque de Québec in 2016 and attend their three-year professional training program. I chose SANCA for my preparatory study because the facility is excellent and it will be a good way to accomplish all of the training I seek in one place. The circus community in Seattle has been very welcoming and I am excited to live here.”

Katheryn Reed is 28 and has been a dancer all her life, but she says it didn’t always feel like it was a viable career, that something was missing, and that her body felt disconnected.

“About 5 years ago” Katheryn says, “I started training in partner acrobatics focused in L-basing with the Seattle Acro group. My whole world opened up, and with the increase of strength in my core and upper body, I finally felt like one piece when I danced.”

Katheryn has been involved with the circus community in Seattle for some time now, working closely with The Acrobatic Conundrum, stage managing for their show The Way Out, and choreographing their show Secret Passages.

“Through continuing to meet new people I became the Captain for the Seattle Chapter of Circus Now, and over the past year we have produced over 10 fantastic and free circus-related events supporting Seattle’s amazing circus community.”

“I chose to train with SANCA because it has always been my circus home, says Katheryn, “It’s welcoming and friendly with amazing facilities and talented teachers. I love ground acrobatics, hand to hand, and Cyr wheel. I just felt like I could not take enough classes to see the progress I wanted, so the full-time P3 Program seemed like the perfect fit!”

Katheryn hopes to continue to perform in Seattle and tour in the longer term. She loves choreographing for circus and hopes collaborate and produce circus in the future. You can also find her dancing and performing professionally with Cafe Nordo and Marxiano Productions.